Sunday, July 2, 2023

Dear Mama-- A Reflective Piece

 


I just had the opportunity to watch an amazing docuseries about the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur and Afeni Shakur—Tupac’s mother titled Dear Mama.  Dear Mama was directed by Allen Hughes who also directed the cult classic film, Menace II Society (Tupac was originally supposed to play the character Shariff).  I love documentaries, docuseries, biographies and the like about musicians.  That said, I have watched many interviews, documentaries, movies, etc. regarding the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur.  One thing I learned from watching Dear Mama is that you cannot speak of Tupac’s legacy without first speaking about his mother, Afeni Shakur.  Their lives are inextricably tied together.  Dear Mama did an amazing job crystalizing this relationship—the good and the bad elements.

 

I do not want to spoil the surprise for you if you have not watched Dear Mama.  But, after sitting through over five hours of interviews, footage from shows, and the like, I have had time to think about my key takeaways from Dear Mama.  Because Tupac and Afeni lived incredible, yet troubled lives, there was much to cover.  But for the sake of brevity, I narrowed my takeaways to five (but this could have easily been ten). 

 

1.      Tupac was very young when he passed away.

 

When you think about what Tupac accomplished, it is difficult to fully appreciate that he did it all by the time he was only 25 years old.  When you really dive into the details a bit more, Tupac did not come onto the national scene in a meaningful way until he was about 20 years old.  That means that his music (excluding posthumous releases, which is a massive body of work) happened during this abbreviated period. Tupac’s studio albums include 2pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z, Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me.   Tupac was also a movie star during this window.  His filmography includes classics such as Juice, Poetic Justice, Above the Rim (my all-time favorite Tupac film) and several other movies. The legal trouble that fell upon him essentially happened during this brief period.

 

Tupac was truly a special talent.  And, from interviews and other information I have read/seen over the years, it is clear Tupac knew his time on this earth was limited.  And, this realization seemed to drive him to create like there was no tomorrow. To put this into perspective, ask yourself what legacy you had established at the age of 25.  Or just think about what you were doing when you were 25.  Were you operating in your passion?  Were you making a difference in the space you occupied?  If the answer to these questions is no, I do not believe you are in the minority.  Most of us start to find alignment and purpose later in life. Tupac was just different and special.  He was much more than a rapper.

 

2.     The Apple does not fall too far from the tree.

 

From Dear Mama, you will also learn about Afeni’s experiences with the Black Panther Party.  You will learn that she was pregnant with Tupac while she was on trial along with the “Panther 21.”  She was a revolutionary leader.  She was a freedom fighter.  She was an intellectual titan. And when you learn about her history, it is easy to understand why Tupac was so militant, outspoken and, in many respects, controversial. 

 

As stated earlier, Afeni was on trial for her life.  And, while she did not have the financial resources to retain legal counsel, she took her fate into her own hands.  She appeared pro se (meaning she did not have an attorney) at her criminal trial where she was facing many years in prison should she have been convicted. Afeni successfully represented her own interests at trial. At the end of the trial, the jury found her not guilty and within a month or so, Tupac Shakur was born.  So, Tupac was forged in the bowels of an earthly Hell.

 

Tupac had multiple high profile run-ins with law enforcement.  He was involved in a shooting of what turned out to be two off duty officers in GA.  However, he was acquitted in that case.  Then, a few years later, he was involved in a lawsuit he filed against police officers in Oakland, CA who brutally beat him after he was cited for jaywalking.  Then, while Tupac was working on the film, Above the Rim, he was accused of raping a woman (a charge he denied until his death).  Ultimately, he was not convicted of rape, but he was convicted of a lesser charge.  But the part that really stood out to me was his speech to the judge.  His speech was very similar to his mother’s speech during her closing argument of her criminal trial in 1971.  You will have to watch the documentary to hear the speeches, but it is uncanny to have two individuals display such courage in the face of utter doom with the same matter-of-fact approach.   

 

3.     Activism was in Tupac and Afeni’s Gene Pool.

 

Tupac’s mother was an active member of the Black Panther Party.  Afeni was a trailblazer because she was not just a member, but she occupied a leadership role in the BPP.  That is quite a feat for a woman during the tumultuous 1960s. That she held a leadership role is a testament to the respect she garnered from an organization primarily led by men.  Afeni fought for equal rights for Black people; she helped with the BPP’s Free Food Program, as well as many other acts of activism. 

 

And, not only did Afeni live this life, but she taught Tupac to be an activist.  She taught him to always speak up and never to let himself be censored.  From my perspective, this character trait was the source of his strength, as well as the cause of many of his problems.  The duality of life is like that I suppose.  The very thing that makes us strong can also be the thing that brings us down.  It is very ironic, indeed.

 

Although Tupac’s biological father was not involved in his life, he was connected to other strong male figures through the BPP.  These men were activists and revolutionaries.  Sadly and unjustly, many of these men ended up dead or locked up in the penitentiary.  But, when you think about these men, you see why Tupac was militant and why he refused to “bend the knee” to people and particularly when he knew he was right.  He was not built to be weak or to be pushed around.  I truly believe this is because of his gene pool.  His people were warriors—literally.

 

4.     A Passion for Life.

 

Afeni was passionate.  In Dear Mama, when they played videos of Afeni during her trial, you saw her passion on full display.  When she talked about Tupac and her love for him, her passion was on full display. When she talked about Tupac’s legacy and how she wanted to further advance it, you could hear the passion in her voice and you could see it in her eyes.  People who have powerful voices and who speak with passion are often misunderstood.  And, to be clear, they are feared, which makes them subjects of attacks as well.  I believe Afeni experienced both.

 

Tupac was passionate.  Tupac was passionate about his music.  He was passionate about his movies.  He was passionate about protecting Black people.  He was passionate about rebuilding the Black community.  There are several videos in Dear Mama showing Tupac at a very young age speaking with zeal about many of the issues that were on his mind.  And from the videos, you could tell that his remarks were not rehearsed.  It appeared that he spoke, almost in a stream of consciousness, about issues that were on his mind.  And although his use of profanity may have been off putting to some, I chose to focus on what he was saying and why he was saying it.  And when you listen, you will see that he was passionate.  Also, in retrospect, Tupac was barely 20 years old while delivering those speeches, so he was probably equally as immature as he was passionate.  Again, the duality of life on full display.

 

5.     The Mind Never Rests.

 

Through Tupac’s 25 years of life, it seems he never rested.  From his unearthly work ethic to legal issues, and several attempts on his life, Tupac did not find peace on this earth.  When you think about it in those terms, although he lived a life where he blessed the world with his talents, I feel that he was probably incredibly unhappy (at least at times) and stressed.

 

And, when you listen to other people who loved Tupac and who were around him, it is pretty clear that they held similar views.  In fact, Shock G from the group Digital Underground and the person who gave Tupac his first opportunity to rhyme on a big song, said that he believed that Tupac found peace and rest when he died.  Also, when you listen to Afeni and understand the life that she lived, it is also clear that she did not have much peace on this earth.  I am happy to know that they both are finally able to rest. 

 

 

I could write more about Dear Mama, but I will stop here.  I happen to think that Dear Mama is the best documentary I have seen.  In every facet, from the rare interviews of Tupac and Afeni to the perspective of Afeni’s big sister (and Tupac’s aunt), to Shock G’s perspective, the documentary is amazing.  If you are a Tupac or Afeni fan, without a doubt, this documentary will make you an even bigger fan. 

 

The documentary is exclusively airing on HULU.  Go support!

 

Peace

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